Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 11:29-32
I am sure we have heard this phrase before : How many times must I tell you?
Our parents use it, our teachers use it, our superiors and bosses use it.
We ourselves use it too on our children, on our subordinates, and on those whom we have some form of authority over.
It seems that we are a little hard on hearing, especially when it comes to hearing the things that we don't like to do.
But in the 1st reading when God sent Jonah to preach repentance and conversion to the Ninevites, they didn't have to be told twice.
Yet it was quite a contrast to those people that Jesus was preaching to; in fact they even asked Him for signs to prove Himself.
Even in our time, the message of repentance and conversion does not sink in quickly.
We all know of the impending ecological disasters from the waste of energy, the destruction of the forests, pollution of the environment and global warming.
We all know of the health hazards of eating too much and exercising too little.
We all know of the sociological problems of rising divorce and family breakups.
All this points to a spiritual crisis, a crisis that can only be resolved when we heed the call to repentance and conversion.
We don't need any more signs, we don't need to be told again and again.
As we journey on into Lent, let repentance and conversion begin with ourselves.
That is the sign that the Church needs, that is the sign that the world needs.